A Bacup Nautilus

neuropteris

GPO
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Jun 25, 2004
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141
Hello all

While searching through some drawers recently, in amongst all the 'why the heck did I pick that up' pieces was this little beauty I'd forgotten all about. Found in a bullion (carbonate nodule) from a Carboniferous Namurian age marine band exposure on the moors above the Lancashire town of Bacup. As can be seen it didn't come out easily (this was in my pre airpen days) and is still in need of some time in the fossil hospital but after a session of 'Nautilus jigsaw challenge' its about 90% complete and I'm sure there must be some way of filling and colour matching the gaps that exist. Its very fragile though so might get it done professionally. The strata this comes from consists of largely unfossiliferous gritty sandstones and shales which represent a large delta system but there are several thin shale bands present over a wide area which contain marine fossils - mainly bivalves and goniatites - nautiloids are much rarer. Where present, the bullions often contain 3 dimensionally preserved fossils but are as hard as nails and don't split easily.

Andy
 

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Thanks for the comments - I like it aswell and its my only nautilus find so far.

I'll try to get some more pics of it uploaded tonight - for some reason they wouldn't work when I tried last.

Andy
 
Andy,
I've been looking thru the treatise trying to find that shell with no luck. The closest I can get is that it is possibly a member of the Super family Clydonautilaceae. Alot have a ventral lobe but none that I can see have a ventral saddle like that. :hmm:

Very cool fossil that comes in pieces like that.
 
Another new species perhaps? Ho hum. If you do find out what it is that would be great!. Haven't looked into it myself though really should research the local marine bands some more. Most of what I have read on them seems to have from from the late 19th century. Have you noticed the shattered goniatite next to it? I think its a Gastrioceras sp
 
neuropteris;82814 said:
Another new species perhaps? Ho hum.

Maybe

Try to find something on Megaglossoceras, the treatise says it is only found in Pennsylvannian rocks of NA, but the treatise is almost as old as I am. :wink:

neuropteris;82814 said:
Have you noticed the shattered goniatite next to it? I think its a Gastrioceras sp

That looked like another nautiloid to me. Gastrioceras would be about the same age as Megaglossoceras. :cool2:
 
Andy, find Nauts here quite regularly but obviously not in Belemnitic numbers (haven't forgotten Phillipo:oops: ) but these are Toarcian youngsters. To see the same form back into the Carboniferous is amazing !!

Keef
 

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